John Kennedy is a man in demand, with two of his former bosses vying for his services.
The Celtic stalwart has been a constant through several eras of change at Parkhead. The latest came to end this month when Ange Postecoglou left for Tottenham, and he wants to take Kennedy with him as part of his coaching staff. Celtic are standing firm though, and whilst they would want to hold on to the highly rated coach anyway, the imminent return of Brendan Rodgers makes it even more crucial.
The Northern Irishman world closely with Kennedy during the former’s first spell in charge that saw the Hoops sweep all before them. With Rodgers’ former No. 2 Chris Davies the frontrunner for the Swansea job, that appears to be a reunion that won’t happen in Glasgow. Kennedy is well placed to continue seamlessly as assistant to Rodgers, although he has apparently made it known he would like to join Spurs.
Either way, one manager is gaining a colleague with an in depth knowledge and experience of just what it takes to find success at Celtic. The fact he’s now worked under four different managers speaks volumes about his abilities.
Record Sport looks at what Kennedy’s bosses have had to say about him, and what the man himself thinks about taking the top job.
John Kennedy
Kennedy has sat in the hot seat before. But it was a thankless task, stepping up after Neil Lennon resigned in early 2021 with 10-In-A-Row having slipped away and fans protesting against the board that allowed it to happen.
However, having a ringside seat to the carnage didn’t put Kennedy off. And he carried out his duties with minimal fuss as those above him figured out how to steer the ship back on course.
“Does it put me off? Not really. It’s a tough gig at Celtic,” Kennedy said.
“There are very high standards and high demands. At times some of the criticism can be harsh. I’m not just talking about this season. Everyone sees things differently and has an opinion, which is fine.
“It’s par for the course in the job. The closer you get to the first team the more visible you are. Every performance and result can be scrutinised.
“But we need to trust in what we believe in. If you listen to too many voices and opinions you can start to doubt things.
“I’ve always approached it with the view I love challenges. This has been the most challenging season I’ve had in my coaching career.
“It’s been tough, it’s been disappointing, none more so than for Neil, and myself assisting him. The club has been successful over a period of time.
“There’s been set backs this season that have been hard to take. But you have to realise how to fix it and bring it back rather than go to pieces.”
Ronny Deila
The Norwegian made Kennedy is hist team coach after arriving in Glasgow back in 2014. And he already had him pegged as a future Celtic boss.
Deila said: “Kennedy is a great prospect, in my opinion, to become a very good manager. He is very determined and wants to learn. He is hard-working and intelligent, socially and football wise. This is just the start for him.
“He could be the Celtic manager in the future one day. It’s too early for him now – he needs to get out and get some experience - but he’s respected within the whole club. The players like him and you can see he has leadership qualities.
“I have been lucky with my two assistants while I have been here. It’s been great to work with them as I have learned a lot. Hopefully they have got some small things from me as well.”
Neil Lennon
Lennon was a teammate of Kennedy’s before joining him in the dugout during his second stint as Hoops boss. And he even confirmed that his second hand man was ready while Lennon himself was still in post.
He said: “He is ambitious, he has his own ambitions, but the club means a lot to him. He has made a huge contribution to the club and he still has a big contribution to make before he either steps in here, in the hot seat eventually, or he goes on and does his own thing.
“He could do it now – he has been first team coach under a few managers but this time he is number two or number one and a half as I call him because he is that close to me. That has maybe really captured people’s attention and he is still young enough not to take plunge just yet but if you ask me if he is ready to go into management, I would say yeah, he is ready to go into management or the head coach role now.
“He has been doing it now for four or five years. He is 36. People say you never know when you are ready and that would be the case, but I think he is ready.”
Brendan Rodgers
Rodgers’ success was built on him changing the culture at Celtic. Part of that was bringing in his own staff, but Kennedy remained on the roster.
When Kennedy was placed in temporary charge, Rodgers stopped short of saying Kennedy should get it permanently. But he was sure his former club were in safe hands.,
"In terms of John, when myself and my staff went in there, John was someone I didn't know but I heard good things about him,” Rodgers said.
"He knows the temperature of Celtic which is important. He has been through all the levels as a scout, a coach, progressed through to the first team and in my time there he was an absolutely brilliant first-team coach for me.
"He has great knowledge of the game, very loyal, very supportive, very hard working. He knows the demands of the club and obviously with Neil moving on he is a great pair of hands to go in there and just stabilise the players, the club and I am pretty sure he will do a fantastic job in the period he is in there."
Kris Ajer
Being a first team coach and assistant is about more than helping the boss implement his pans. You are a link between the dressing room and the management, often a trusted figure players can go to with stuff that isn’t necessarily for the manager’s ears.
Kris Ajer found Kennedy's help invaluable, settling in as a young arrival from Norway. He said:“My parents lived with me for my first six months in Scotland, which meant everything,” he said.
“I had to transition from being a young boy playing every minute back home in Norway, to not playing a minute at Celtic. It was an important period for me to understand the rhythm of First Team football at a top club. For six months, I basically slept at the training ground.
“I worked so hard with John Kennedy, the first team coach at Celtic. Next to my dad, he’s been the most important person for my development. He helped me so much.
Ange Postecoglou
Much was made of Ange not bringing in any of his own staff when he was appointed in summer 2021. Eddie Howe had apparently knocked the job back on the basis that his team couldn’t come with him.
The Aussie got on with it through. And it’s testament to Kennedy that he is now making a point of trying to poach him for his new-look staff in North London.
"It was my call not to bring anyone in - and just to assess the staff I had. The key to that was then getting them to believe in me. They've been outstanding.
"Led by John Kennedy who has been at the club a long time. He understands what success looks like but all the staff have been great. For us to be in the position we are has taken a massive collective effort."
As for Kennedy’s role under Ange, he explained it fairly simply. Saying: “John Kennedy drives most of that in terms of the planning of the sessions and the way it goes.
"A lot of our development comes from the practical rather than the analysis and video stuff. The stuff we review from our domestic games, particularly, sometimes there isn’t a lot in there to take away for some of the principles we want to try and improve.“
When Kennedy was linked with the recent Hearts vacancy, it came as no surprise to Postecoglou. He added: “He's got a lot of experience at this football club, part of a lot of success. That isn't by accident. It's not surprising that people are looking at him. When the time is right he'll make an outstanding manager."
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